Jinky – Jimmy Johnstone

James Connelly Johnstone Greatest Celtic Player of all time
30 September 1944 Viewpark Uddingston – 13 March 2006 Viewpark Uddingston
Favourite Team: Celtic FC
Favourite Song of all time: You’ll Never Walk Alone
Best player to play with: Bobby Murdoch
Best player to play against: Bobby Murdoch in training
Favourite Player: Alfredo Di Stefano Real Madrid Club De Futbol
Can we get our picture taken with you El Jimmy as you belong here with us?
Di Stefano 5 European Cup Winners medals Real Madrid “Greatest player in the world 1954-63”
Santamaria 4 European Cup Winners Medals Real Madrid
Puskas 4 European Cup Winners Medals Real Madrid
Gento 6 European Cup Winners Medals Real Madrid
Words spoken to Jinky from these four great players the world has produced after he beat Real Madrid single handed. Every time he touched the ball 135,000 Spaniards shouted ole.

Jock Stein speaks;
“People might say I will be best remembered for being in charge of the first British club to win the European Cup or leading Celtic to nine league championships in a row, but I would like to be remembered for keeping the wee man, Jimmy Johnstone, in the game five years longer than he might have been. That is my greatest achievement.”

Jimmy Johnstone speaks:
“You’ve got to entertain and to that you’ve got to practise at it. And that’s what’s missing.”

On Lisbon
“I’m proud that I was part of the greatest club in the world. To be the first British team to win the European Cup, but more so to be part of the greatest Celtic team ever, that’s something else, isn’t it?”

“Picture it, who were we? We were nobody, just a bunch of guys. Here we were, in Lisbon, playing against the mighty Inter Milan. If you remember, they had won the European Cup and the World Championship twice.”

‘We knew within ourselves, our own ability and we started to believe in ourselves but we never, ever for a minute thought that we would win the European Cup.’Jinky, 1995

On the Largs rowing-boat episode
“I was fishing.”

On being diagnosed with MND (2001)
“I don’t want to put a long face on it. I am being positive about the whole thing. I have my wife Agnes, three children and six grandchildren, and they are all that matter to me.”

On being unable to attend the 20th anniversary commemoration for big Jock (2005) “I regret not being able to be at Celtic Park with the rest of the guys. But the important thing was to be there in spirit. Jock was everything to a lot of us. He certainly got the best out of me.”

On the fans and the Club
“I was always aware I was an entertainer. The crowd provided the expectation, the hair on the back of my neck would go up and I loved the applause. The pitch was my stage. The whistle meant it was showtime. That is why I admired Matthews. The way he took people on and beat them, that was entertainment to me and that is all I wanted to do.
“Without the fans, you are nothing and what I am most thankful of is that I got a chance to realise my talent at Celtic, because it is a special club, supported by special people.”

On Playing Rangers and Superstition
“I never had a specific ritual before the match. I would just go out looking for an early touch. The worst bit was about 10 minutes before the kick-off, but once out on the park, a lot of the nerves would go.

On Watching Real Madrid at Hampden
“The match remained the biggest single influence on my career. It was like a fantasy staged in heaven. I had never seen football like it, nor would I ever again. I’ll recite the names of that Madrid forward line till the day I die.”

Di Stefano’s testimonial
‘Without a shadow of a doubt that was my best game for Celtic. With a quarter of an hour to go, none of them would come near me.’ Jinky on Alferdo di Stefano’s testimonial speaking in 1995.

CELTIC FC
1962-1975 APPEARANCES – 515
1962-1975 GOALS – 129

Honours:
European Cup Winner 1
Scottish League Champion 9
Scottish Cup Champion 4
League Cup Champion 5
Drybrough Cup Winner 1
Glasgow Cup Winner 3
Voted Greatest Celtic player of all time 2002
Voted in to Greatest Celtic team of all time 2002
Inducted in to Scottish Sports Hall of fame 2002
Inducted in to Hampden Hall of Fame 2004
Faberge egg unveiled in House of Commons – First Living person to be Honoured since the Tsars
No 1 Hit Record Dirty old Town 2006
Voted 6th greatest winger of all time by F.I.F.A. 2008
European bronze boot winner 1967
Scotland International Caps 23
Scottish League Caps 4
Posthumously voted in to Greatest Scotland team ever 2010
Posthumously awarded SFA Quality Mark for His Academy 2010